LSU and Campus Federal Credit Union Name 2012 Rainmakers

03/06/2013 12:00 PM

BATON ROUGE – LSU’s Office of Research & Economic Development, with the support of
Campus Federal Credit Union, has announced its annual Rainmaker Awards for Research
and Creative Activity. Rainmakers are those faculty members who are nationally and
internationally recognized for innovative research and creative scholarship, compete
for external funding at the highest levels and attract and mentor exceptional graduate
students. The Rainmakers reception will be held on Wednesday, March 13, at 7 p.m.
in the Club at LSU Union Square.

“Since our inception, Campus Federal has been a staunch supporter of faculty excellence,
and we can think of no better investment in the future of this university than the
LSU Rainmakers,” said Ron Moreau, vice president of business development and community
relations at Campus Federal Credit Union.

Chakrabarty, assistant professor in the Department of Biological Sciences in LSU’s
College of Science and curator of ichthyology in LSU’s Museum of Natural Science,
and Buckner, assistant professor in the Department of Psychology in LSU’s College
of Humanities & Social Sciences, have received the university’s Rainmaker’s Emerging
Scholar Award in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and Arts, Humanities,
Social or Behavioral Sciences, respectively. Chakrabarty uses molecular and morphological
phylogenetic techniques to better understand evolutionary processes in fish species.
Buckner’s research focuses on explaining factors of anxiety disorders and substance
use disorders and developing evaluation of treatment and prevention protocols for
such disorders.

The Emerging Scholar Award recognizes junior faculty members exhibiting success at
the assistant professor level as measured by significant contribution to the faculty
member’s field of research or creative activity including publication in a high-impact
journal(s); a highly cited piece of work; external awards; invited presentations at
national and international meetings; high journal publication productivity; critically
acclaimed book publication, performances or exhibits; or high-grant productivity.
Chakrabarty and Buckner will each receive a one-time stipend of $1,000 and a plaque
in recognition of their achievements.

MID-CAREER SCHOLAR

Jin, professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy in LSU’s College of Science,
and Ashok Mishra, professor in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Agribusiness
in the College of Agriculture, have received the Rainmakers Mid-Career Scholar Award
in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, and Arts, Humanities, Social
or Behavioral Sciences, respectively. Jin’s research focuses on the development of
novel complex materials with intriguing physical properties, and Mishra studies diverse
topics in agricultural finance and policy.

This award recognizes faculty members at the associate professor or full professor
level who exhibit a sustained program of excellence as measured by the criteria set
forth in the emerging scholar category. Award winners in the Mid-Career Scholar category
have been at LSU for 7-10 years. Jin and Mishra will receive a one-time stipend of
$1,000 and a plaque in recognition of their achievements.

SENIOR SCHOLARS

Hirschheim, Ourso Family Distinguished Professor of Information Systems in LSU’s E.
J. Ourso College of Business, and Kam-biu Liu, George W. Barineau III Professor of
Oceanography and Coastal Sciences in LSU’s School of the Coast and Environment, have
received the Rainmaker’s Senior Scholar Award in Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences,
and Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, respectively. Hirschheim’s research
interests include outsourcing and management of information systems. Liu studies ancient
hurricane and climate history throughout the U.S. Gulf and Atlantic coasts, the Caribbean
region and Central America, South America, the Tibetan Plateau, Central Asia, China
and Africa.

This is recognition for a faculty member whose work is comparable to the quality of
that considered for the Distinguished Research Master award or Boyd Professor designation.
This award is typically reserved for a faculty member who has been promoted to full
professor and has exhibited a sustained program of excellence as measured by significant
contributions to the faculty member’s field of research or creative activity in the
same previous criteria. Hirschheim and Liu will receive a one-time stipend of $1,000
and a plaque.

“We congratulate this year’s Rainmakers and thank them for their hard work, dedication
and scholarly excellence,” said Thomas Klei, LSU interim vice chancellor of research
& economic development. “We’re proud to have the support of Campus Federal Credit
Union and their tireless support of LSU research.”